


The Stranger

by Nununununu



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Attraction, First Meetings, Identity Porn, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Rare Pairings, Strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/pseuds/Nununununu
Summary: In which Cobb meets the actual owner of his new armour, although he doesn't know it.
Relationships: Boba Fett/Cobb Vanth
Comments: 11
Kudos: 112





	The Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Includes non-detailed references to death of unnamed townspeople

The stranger casts a long shadow. Standing atop a rocky outcrop, looking down over the desert; down over Mos Pelgo.

Cobb narrows his eyes at the weapons on the man’s back as he climbs. Doesn’t make an effort to conceal the sound of his footsteps, but nor does he take his hand away from his blaster. Still holstered, for now.

“Howdy,” Helmet tucked under his other arm for safekeeping, he comes to a stop not far from the stranger, squinting into the sunlight, “What brings you to these here parts?”

“You are known as the Marshal,” The man doesn’t turn to face him. His deep voice rough, perhaps from disuse. Perhaps from thirst. “This is your town.”

“Sure am and sure is,” While Cobb keeps his voice friendly, it’s a warning nonetheless.

Mos Pelgo might not look like much of a place at the moment, reeling as it is from the aftermath of yet another attack by the krayt dragon. Three buildings gone in a matter of minutes and the people in them too, and it was pure luck it missed the school. Cobb’s spent no few hours down there, going through the rubble with everyone else, searching for survivors, laying out the dead.

It’s done now, but he still needs to wash the taste out of his mouth; raise a glass to those who’ve gone. Was about to head to the cantina, before catching sight of this man.

He’d rather not have it out with the stranger, but if things end up headed that way, well then. Needs must.

“That armour has helped protect you from many a danger,” The man says, as if he’s seen it somehow, as if he knows. Or just guesses perhaps. A threat?

So far it seems simply a statement, if Cobb’s getting any sort of a read on him. Hard to tell. Black garbed, bald-headed, scars that no doubt could tell a story or three. Gives the impression of being taller. Appealingly broad.

“Can’t deny it,” He scrubs a gloved hand through his hair, “More importantly, it’s helped me protect my town and the people in it.”

“But not from the krayt dragon,” Comes the reply.

“I think we both know that’s a might bit more difficult, though the time will come when I find a way to bring it down,” Cobb next scratches his cheek, skin caked in dust and sand. The blood of the dead. “And this here jetpack?” He shifts his shoulders in indication of it, although the stranger has yet to even glance back, “Let me get two of our youngest residents out of the way of the thing just in time, and their papa too. None of them would still be here with us, else.”

“You should learn how to use it as it deserves,” The man makes a noise through his nose, almost a snort. And this is where Cobb opens his mouth up to give a smart reply, a little stung – he’s self-taught, sure, and has a way to go yet; the armour’s old and damaged enough that learning to fight in it was simply a case of trial and error and not any form of success for a fair while at first – but who the hell has ever had any experience with this kind of armour before?

Who the hell indeed. If the man senses Cobb’s eyes narrowing even further, he shows no sign of it.

“It’s saved my life many a time now,” Cobb says instead while he considers this stranger, the words coming out a little quieter with the weight of their truth, “Won everyone in my town back their freedom, me included, and has saved no few of my people’s lives over and again since. So yeah.” He glances down at the helmet, “I’m going to keep right on learning more about it and figuring it out; treat it good.”

That’s a real big weakness he’s just admitted to this stranger, with no guarantee the other man won’t use it against him. But Cobb just finally gets that glance, dark eyes seeming to take in both everything about him and that armour.

It’s in this moment Cobb finds himself convinced that this other man could flatten him, armour or no. But instead there’s a distinct lack of threat to the stranger. Well. Perhaps some, but banked down. A willingness to just speak and be heard. To listen, too.

“You do that, as much as it will allow you,” Oddly, it almost sounds like the man’s giving him permission and – yeah, Cobb should probably be offended here too. But it’s too rare for anyone to approach Mos Pelgo and not mean trouble, and this stranger so far hasn’t made any hint of it.

“Why don’t you come down into town for a bit, get a drink?” Cobb finds himself offering as such, when the other man takes a step down from the outcrop. Not in the direction Cobb’s standing, but away. “Sure things are kind of a mess, but the cantina’s still open.”

It near enough always is.

He gets the impression he’s surprised the man; the stranger swivels back to give him another look, once again frankly assessing, but it’s not about the armour this time. And – okay, Cobb hadn’t meant it like that, but were the timing more appropriate, he wouldn’t have _not_ not meant it, either.

Just for a second he gets an almost visceral feeling of just what it would be like to wrap his legs around this other man’s waist, those broad hands cupping his ass, holding him up effortlessly.

Damn, but his mouth goes dry.

There’s perhaps just the slightest hint of amusement in the other man’s gaze as he looks back away. Perhaps just the slightest hint of hunger, of heat, in the moment right before that.

“I am not one much for the company of others,” Is the eventual pronouncement, but then the stranger’s glancing back at Cobb again almost as if despite himself, “But the time will come when I return to these parts.”

He says this without any doubt.

Cobb’s mouth crooks, just at the corner. A feeling settling inside him this time like they’ve come to an understanding of sorts, “I’ll see there’s a bottle set aside waiting for you.”

“There will be others who come for the armour,” The stranger announces, and it’s not a refusal. There’s something else there though, Cobb’s sure of it, as well as a lingering undercurrent of attraction passing between them both. Something else that this man wants; something he’s not about to say.

Ah well, they’ve all got their secrets. So long as it doesn’t affect Cobb’s town, then there’s no need for him to pry.

“Let them try,” He just shrugs under the pauldrons, as such.

A clearer snort from the stranger.

“May your confidence not prove misplaced,” He raises his hand to his face as if to indicate a visor, “But you might find it beneficial when wearing the helmet if you turn on the HUD.”

“The what now?” Blinking, Cobb turns said helmet over in both hands to peer inside it, “Wait, are you telling me –?”

And how does this man even know?

Glancing back up again, his brow crinkling, Cobb isn’t entirely surprised to find the stranger has gone.


End file.
